Today, while I was sitting in meditation (with my eyes closed) I felt for a solid five minutes like I was on a roller coaster. That I was being pushed to the left as we went through a turn and then somwhat back as we went up a hill, etc. But I was completely stationary and unmoving. That turn was actually intense enough that I found myself cursing quietly as it "happened".
This wasn't the first time I've had such strange sensations (probably once a month one will come up--I've had my head floating on the ceiling, riding the teacup ride at Disneyland, etc) nor do I think it's a problem. (I've certainly heard more than a little testimony to strange sensations when sitting from other meditators.)
My biggest question is just: any advice? How have you worked with it? What was your experience like? Do I take any meaning from it?
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hanjini — 13 years ago — permalinkBriefly, my understanding of the standard teaching for this sort of experience is to note it, find a word to describe it, and then go back to the breath. That would be if you're doing a "concentration" meditation - i.e., when you have decided to focus on a single object, the breath. Alternately, if you were doing a "mindfulness" session, you could just go with it, noticing everything about the experience, noticing your thinking about it, such as the thought that you're perfectly aware that you're also sitting quite still. Then you would be noticing the beginning of the feeling, the middle of the sensation, and its fading away. Overall, I'd say the standard teaching is not to attach any significance to it, don't "get into it," and don't give it any more significance than just noticing it.
What you do with it beyond that, like after you meditate, is up to you. I mean, I'd be wondering what that metaphor's about - what else in my life is like a roller coaster? or explore the associations, like, am I making a tempest in a teacup out of something? But I'd say that's strictly outside of the sitting.